The space was dimly lit, almost no light reaching the underground room. In this den-like place, a young girl lived. She appeared to be around six years old.

Despite having only a few books to stave off boredom, the girl still managed to live with a smile.

The reason for her smile was that she had friends who visited her. Only a small mouse, which could enter the underground room, and ‘Michiru-chan,’ who spoke to her inside her head, were her companions.

The girl, who knew nothing of the outside world except through the mouse’s words and Michiru-chan’s memories, was still content.

The people living in the mansion believed the girl had gone mad. Even though it was they who had driven her into this situation, they insisted it was the girl who was the strange one.

One day, the girl’s peaceful life suddenly crumbled.

A noblewoman, dressed in extravagant attire, descended into the underground room. It was the girl’s mother. Her mother had brought a man with her.

“Mother,” the girl murmured, only for her mother to glare at her.

“Stop that! Only Mireille can call me that!”

Her mother shrieked hysterically. Mireille was the girl’s twin sister. In this country, twins were considered cursed children. Because of that, the younger sister — this girl — had been hidden away from the world.

“Take this demon child away quickly! If she’s here, she’ll get in Mireille’s way!”

The man reached out for the girl. His grip tightened painfully around her arm, making her cry out.

“Mireille has been chosen as the Saint! We don’t need you anymore!”

The man hoisted the girl up and tossed her into a filthy carriage.

“Hurry and throw her away in the forest!”

With her mother’s shout, the carriage began to move. An alarm rang in the girl’s mind. She knew she was being abandoned in the forest. Being a clever child, she understood immediately.

How much time had passed? The girl had been terrified the entire journey. Eventually, the carriage stopped, and she was dragged outside. Thrown to the ground, she endured the pain as the carriage sped away.

Where was this place? As she looked around, all she could see were trees. She had no idea where she was in the forest. For now, she thought she should search for someone. That’s what ‘Michiru-chan’ seemed to suggest.

The girl wandered through the forest. However, having spent her life underground, her stamina was poor. Soon, she was out of breath and sat down, exhausted.

At that moment, a small squirrel appeared. It was adorable, and the girl reached out to stroke it.

“Are you alone too?”

The girl asked. The squirrel responded, ‘Wait here,’ and scampered off. The girl felt lonely watching it leave.

She decided to rest as the squirrel had instructed. Her throat was parched, and she felt she might not be able to walk any further. Would the squirrel come back? Various thoughts swirled in her mind.

Just then, many squirrels gathered around her.

‘Help is here!’
‘We brought someone!’

They all spoke in turn.

From behind the trees, a man riding a large wolf emerged.

“Are you alright!?”

The man — Ian — leapt from his wolf the moment he saw the girl. He picked up the barely conscious child, mounted his wolf again, and hurried back to his base.

After giving the girl some water and laying her on a bed, Ian was furious. It wasn’t uncommon for children to be abandoned in this forest, yet each time, Ian felt an indescribable rage.

The neighboring country — the Kingdom of Reiz — had long closed itself off with a barrier and avoided diplomacy. Because of that, they often abandoned people outside the barrier, in this forest. Although this forest was considered sacred by the Kingdom of Wils, it ironically became a sanctuary for those who had been forsaken.

The girl’s condition had been severe. Thin and malnourished, it was clear she hadn’t been properly fed. Ian assumed she had likely been branded a cursed child for some reason.

The Kingdom of Reiz, sealed within their barrier, still clung to many outdated prejudices. It was said that even a person of another race merely walking down the street could be pelted with stones.

Ian’s heart ached for what the girl had endured.

After preparing some food, Ian returned to the room to check on her.

At that moment, his divine beast partner, Louis, entered the room. Knowing the girl would be startled if she woke up to find a wolf beside her, Ian tried to shoo Louis away. But Louis refused to leave. Instead, he sat firmly beside the girl.

Ian was at a loss. Louis, who was intelligent enough to understand human speech, stubbornly ignored Ian’s orders. Ian wondered if there was something special about the girl. But no answer came to mind.

Eventually, the girl woke up.

Ian spoke gently to avoid scaring her, then offered her some water.

The girl eagerly drank, clearly parched.

“Um… thank you for saving me. Thank you too, Mr. Wolf.”

After finishing her drink, the girl spoke with remarkable politeness for her age. And she didn’t seem frightened of the wolf either.

Ian decided to ask her some questions.

“What’s your name?”

“I… I don’t have a name.”

The girl lowered her gaze sadly. Ian’s face tensed with frustration.

“Then… how about I call you Lil? Does that sound alright?”

The moment he said that, the girl’s face lit up.

It was the name she’d longed for — her own name.

‘Lil… Lil…’ She repeated it in her mind, savoring the sound. Seeing her joy, Ian felt relieved.

‘I am Louis. Nice to meet you, Lil.’

Louis spoke suddenly. Lil responded with a smile.

“Yes, nice to meet you too, Louis.”

Ian froze. Had he told Lil Louis’ name? No… Yet the two of them seemed to be carrying on a conversation.

“Wait… Lil, can you understand Louis?”

It seemed impossible, yet Lil tilted her head curiously.

“Yes, I can.”

Ian clutched his head. He’d stumbled upon something incredible.

“Um… is it strange that I can talk to animals?”

Lil asked, looking downcast. Ian hurriedly denied it.

“No, not at all! Lil, you probably have the ‘Interpreter’ skill.”

“Skill? What’s that?”

“A skill is a gift from the gods that everyone possesses. We’ll figure out your skill properly later.”

‘Whoa, a fantasy world!’ Michiru-chan seemed to cheer. Excited by the idea, Lil nodded eagerly.

If Lil’s skill was indeed ‘Interpreter,’ then she possessed the same power as the founding king of this nation. That skill was invaluable — she would undoubtedly be held in high regard. Ian decided he would keep Lil close.

“Lil… can you tell me why you were in the forest?”

Lil explained everything she knew — how she was born as a twin, kept confined underground, taught only the bare minimum of language and literacy, and finally discarded in the forest when her sister became the Saint.

Hearing her story, Ian and Louis were furious. They kept their anger hidden for Lil’s sake.

“If you have nowhere else to go, you can stay here. You’re welcome.”

Ian said this while gently patting Lil’s head.

It was the first time anyone had done that for her, and it made her happy. She realized from Michiru-chan’s memories that this was what children were supposed to experience.

Lil knew she had been mistreated — what was essentially abuse. She had only pretended not to notice because she couldn’t escape.

Tears fell silently from her eyes. Seeing her cry without a sound, Ian’s heart ached.